The Wellness Workshop
Eating Disorder Recovery
Accredited Eating Disorder dietitians across Australia to support and help you recover from disordered eating and eating disorders.
Trained eating disorder dietitians
The Wellness Workshop eating disorder dietitians are compassionate, health at every size dietitians who are clinically trained to help you recover from disordered eating and eating disorders including Binge Eating Disorder, Bulimia and Orthorexia. We provide you with evidence-based care via telehealth across Australia.
Eating disorder recovery
Eating disorder recovery may seem like a daunting and never-ending process, particularly because food is such a fundamental part of everyday life. Recovery from an eating disorder can take many different forms and may look completely different depending on the individual.
Recovery from an eating disorder is always possible, regardless of how long a person has suffered.
When beginning the process of eating disorder recovery, it's important to remember that often the progression is not linear and sometimes you (or the person experiencing the eating disorder) may fall in and out of harmful behaviours/thoughts.
What are the benefits of eating disorder recovery?
Physically:
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Stabilised vital signs like heart rate, blood pressure and cholesterol levels
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Reduced propensity to suffer from Osteoporosis
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Energy to invest in activities you want to do
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Reduced fatigue, bloating and dizziness
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Better sleep quality
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Better gastrointestinal health
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Stabilised body weight
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Better hair, skin and nails
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Energy to exercise and recover adequately
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Feeling physical comfortable
Mentally:
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No longer living with feelings of fear, anxiety, self-loathing, isolation...etc
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No longer being dictated by the thoughts/voice of the eating disorder
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Feeling more confident, safe and secure in your own mind
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Having the energy to focus on other things you care about, or used to care about
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No longer feeling controlled by food, the availability of food or calories in food
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Rebuilding your personality, values & sense of self
Socially:
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Reconnecting with friends and family
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Engaging in hobbies and extra curricular activities you stopped doing
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Participating in social gatherings
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Attending public events
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Having the confidence to go shopping with friends or family
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Forming new relationships (personal and professional)
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Feeling secure and adequate around others
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Feeling worthy and deserving of others attention and affection
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Feeling calm in intimate relationships
Get support for eating disorder recovery today
Understanding the stages of eating disorder recovery
Eating Disorder recovery usually involves improving or eliminating various behaviours through the support and guidance of a treatment team who help manage your psychological, physical and social wellbeing.
Some individuals may also choose to follow self-help programs or join therapy groups, as well as work on interpersonal relationships that potentially influence their eating behaviours.
To understand the stages of eating disorder recovery, it's helpful to explore The Stages of Change model defined by Prochaska and DiClemente.
Individuals recovering from an eating disorder may go through this cycle multiple times, and at different phases of recovery, as well as for each symptom of their eating disorder. This is explained in more detail below:
01.
Pre-contemplation
"I don't have a problem"
The Pre-Contemplation Stage is evident when a person does not believe they have a problem.
Friends and loved ones tend to pick up on symptoms such as restrictive eating, the binge/purge cycle, or a preoccupation with weight, shape, and appearance, despite the sufferer not admitting it.
The individual may refuse to discuss the topic and deny they need help. At this stage, we recommend seeking the advice of a GP trained and experienced treated eating disorders, or The Wellness Workshop who can provide you with tips on how to navigate the situation effectively and not cause further detriment to the sufferer's health.
You can also find out more about signs and symptoms by clicking here.
03.
Preparation
"What treatment is right for me?"
An individual transitions into the Preparation Stage when they are ready to change, but uncertain on how to go about it.
The Wellness Workshop's dietitians can assist you in developing specific coping mechanisms that assist you in effectively dealing with negative eating disorder thoughts and emotions, while also providing nutritional therapy to begin the process of normalising food and eating behaviours.
It's also recommended the sufferer identify potential barriers to change and implement their treatment plan as created by their GP.
Sitting down with family members and close friends to explain the next steps forward and how they can support your recovery is suggested.
05.
Maintenance
"I'm consistently practicing the steps"
The maintenance stage occurs when the individual has sustained the action stage for around six months or longer.
During this time, the sufferer continues to practice recommended behaviours, new ways of processing their thoughts and implementing learnt coping mechanisms.
They may also need to regularly expose themselves to potential triggers i.e eating out with friends at a takeaway restaurant in order to prevent relapse and acclimatise themselves to their new lifestyle. This can be a particularly difficult stage of eating disorder recovery as external stresses may increase the risk of relapse.
Having a relapse prevention plan is place is recommended.
02.
Contemplation
"I have a problem and need help"
The Contemplation Stage occurs when an individual is willing to admit that they have a problem and are open to receiving help.
They fear of change may be very strong, and it's during this phase that a professional like a Psychologist, Therapist or Wellness Coach can assist the individual in discovering why they developed the eating disorder and what purpose it has served in their life.
A visit to a GP trained and experienced in treating eating disorders is recommended at this point to gain a diagnosis, develop a treatment plan and move forward towards the next step of receiving treatment.
The Wellness Workshop can provide you with a list of recommended Practitioners who are trained to treat eating disorders.
See our eating disorder trained specialists here.
04.
Action
"I'm taking the steps I need to"
Once an individual is ready to implement their plan and confront the eating disorder, the action stage begins.
Generally this will mean attending appointments, exploring new ideas and behaviours, facing fears and even reading and adopting self-help approaches. They may also attend therapy groups and seek support from loved ones.
Trust between the individual and the treatment team is imperative here, particularly when facing challenges or barriers to change.
The action phase is also a good time to remove triggers from the sufferer's environment like diet foods and diet pills, scales, harmful social media accounts, diet books or anything else that may hinder the recovery effort.
Recovery from an eating disorder starts here
Talk to our team of lived experience and medically trained eating disorder specialists.
Supporting a loved one experiencing an eating disorder?
We share 5 things people should know about eating disorder recovery from someone who experienced Binge Eating Disorder and Bulimia for over 15 years. Understand why recovery is difference for every person and more below.
Books that help with eating disorder recovery...
What's the first step in eating disorder recovery?
To find out more about eating disorder recovery and take the first step in getting treatment for eating disorders, visit our Eating Disorder Treatment page.
Here you will find information on how to begin the process of recovery for both yourself, or a loved one you feel may have an eating disorder.
If you're ready to begin your recovery journey book an appointment today with The Wellness Workshop's dietitians and Intuitive Eating coaches by clicking the link below.
Branavie Ranjithakumaran
Branavie Ranjithakumaran is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian (APD) and Accredited Nutritionist (AN).
She is an advocate of the Non-Diet Approach and Health At Every Size, and has undergone Intuitive Eating training through the London Center for Intuitive Eating.
Branavie has a passion for food and works as a researcher at the Royal Children’s Hospital and co-hosts the podcast, The Pantry Party.
Elena Zhang
Elena is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and a Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician (CEDC) awarded by Australia & New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders (ANZAED). With a lived experience of Trauma and Postnatal Depression, Elena obtained further training in these fields and is now experienced in supporting people with mental health conditions, neurodiverse persons, as well as people living with Eating Disorders.
Contact us today for a confidential conversation about the best treatment path forward for you.
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